Dolph



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

'A.D.F.RANDOLPH. PHOTOGRAPHIG DARK BOX.

No. 518,074. Patented, Apr. 10, 1894.

smveh bo'a wi bmwwo J m: mmonm. Llmcmummu COMPANY. WABHINGYON. n o.

' (No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 2;

A. D. F. RANDOLPH. PHGTOGRAPHIG DARK BOX.

No. 518,074. Patented Apr. 10,1894.

1 A n e in M g E'wi% G 22% v E W nnnnnnnnnnnnn I:v

ATENT rrrcn.

ARTHUR D. F. RANDOLPH, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y.

PHOTOGRAPHIC DARK-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 518,074, dated April 10, 1894.

Application filed March 18, 1898. Serial No. 466,654. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern Be it known that I, ARTHUR D. F. RAN- DOLPH, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Portable Dark Rooms or Boxes for Photographers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a portable dark room or box for photographers by means of which the essential steps necessary to develop and fix a picture after exposure of the plate in the camera can be performed on the spot, thereby obviating the necessity and annoyance occasioned by the general practice of accumulating a number of plates after exposure and carrying them to a dark room and developing them.

This invention aims to provide a dark room for the aforesaid purposes which will belight, cheap, and fold into a compact form so as to be readily carried without materially adding to the weight and bulk of the ordinary outfit for out door work.

The invention consists of a folding frame of peculiar arrangement to form a supporting structure for the textile fabric forming the sides of the device, and having colored glass in the top to exclude the actinic rays of light and'permit the operator to observe the pro-.

cess of handling the developing tray, the plate holder, and the plate when transferring the same from the plate holder to the developing tray in which it is developed and fixed, and having cuffs through which the hands of the operator are thrust when handling the plate, said cuffs having contractible wrist bands to fit close to the wrist to exclude rays of light.

The improvement further consists in the novel features and the peculiar construction and combination of the parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and which are shown in the annexed drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of a dark room or box embodying my invention, part of the top or colored glass being broken away to show the inner endof a cuff. Fig. 2 is across section on the line 11 of Fig. 3, showing a developing tray in position, and showing the door in the bottom dropped, in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 2, showing a developing tray in position at one end, said tray having a portion broken away. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the lower end of one of the supports, showing the relative position of the spring for holding the support in an elevated position.

The dark room or box is composed of abottom N, a top A, folding corner supports E, a textile fabric H constituting the ends and sides, and cuffs K. The bottom N may be of wood or other suitable material, and is provided in its edge with a groove to receive the lower edge of the fabric H and a wire band J, which latter serves to secure the lower edge of the fabric in the said groove. A door M is provided to close an opening in the said bottom N, through which a developing tray and plate holder is passed into the dark room or box. This door M is hinged at one end and is secured at its free end when shut by any well known form of catch m. The top is composed of a colored glass A, either ruby, orange, red or other color which will exclude the actinic properties of rays of light, and a frame 0. This frame 0 is constructed to embrace the edges of the glass A and is preferably constructed of a strip of sheet metal which is bent upon itself between its edges so as to receive the edge of the glass between the parallel or folded portions. A corresponding frame or strip I is attached to the inner or under side of the frame 0 and has the upper edge of the fabric H clamped between it and the frame 0, as most clearly shown in Fig. 2. The folding supports E are secured at their ends to the bottom N and the frame of the top by pivotal or hinge connections. These supports have the pivotal connections between their ends so disposed as to admit of the top folding close upon the bottom N. The parts composing a folding support are connected by a rule joint so that when the supports are opened or extended the parts will be held rigidly against outward movement when in alignment. These supports are constructed to fold inward so as to be comprised between the top and bottom when the device is folded. For lightness and strength the supports will be formed from strips of sheet or plate metal which is bent between its edges so that the bent portions will stand about at right angles to each other, giving the supports an L-shape in cross section. A coil spring G is provided for each support, and is attached to the bottom N in any convenient manner, preferably by having the bent end or arm g driven into the said bottom. The other end or arm g of the sprlng engages with the support and in the preferable form of construction is seated in a depression f near the lower end of the support. These springs G exerta pressure on the said supports to force the same open and hold them in a distended position. Obviously, when folding the device these springs G will have their tension increased to such a degree as to materially assist in distending the device when being opened or set up for use.

The textile fabric U. will be of suitable material to exclude light and fold without cracklng and not be rendered unfit for use from moisture, and will be secured at its top and bottom edges, respectively, to the top and bottom in any desired manner preferably by the means herein set forth. This fabric will be stretched around the corner supports E and supported thereby at the angle when the device is set up for use.

The cuffs K are located on opposite sides of the device and are secured at their inner ends to the fabric H. The outer ends of the cuffs are expansible to snugly encircle the Wrists of the operator so as to exclude rays of light. Rubbers or elastic bands L are applied to the outer ends of the cuffs to draw said ends together and obtain a close fit thereof on the Wrists of the operator.

To use the invention the same is set up or distended, substantially as shown in -Figs. 1 and 2, and will be suitably supported so that the door M can be opened downward without interference to freely admit of a developing tray and plate holder being passed into the dark room or box through the opening provided in the bottom of the device. Any form of developing tray P may be employed, that shown is of my invention for which I have filed an application for patent of an even date herewith, Serial No. 466,655. After the developing tray and plate holder have been placed in the dark room or box, the operator thrusts his hands through the cuffs and removes the plate from the plate holder and places the same within the developing tray P, where it is developed and fixed in the ordinary manner. The process of manipulatin g the plate holder and plate can be observed through the glass top.

\Vhen the device is not in use it can be folded in a compact form by breaking the joints of the corner supports and folding the top upon the bottom. The cuffs being of textile fabric can be pushed within the structure or folded in any desired manner found most convenient.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A folding portable dark room for photographers, consisting of a top and bottom frame, flexible sides connected at their top and bottom edges with the said top and bottom frames, corner supports connected midway of their ends by a rule joint and hinged at the ends, respectively, to the said top and bottom frames and arranged to stiffen the said flexible sides at the angles when the structure is in use, said supports having depressions f near one of the hinged ends, and coil springs having arms g seated in the said depressions, and having arm g secured to the contiguous frame, substantially as set forth.

2. The folding portable dark room for photographers herein set forth, consisting of a bottom having a downwardly opening door and grooved in the edge, a top frame having grooves in its inner edges, a frame I secured to the said top frame, flexible sides having the top edge clamped between the top frame and the frame I, and having the lower edge held in the said grooved edge of the bottom by a clamp wire, and having flexible cuffs on the opposite sides provided with contractible wrist bands, folding corner supports connected midway of their ends by rule joints and hinged at their ends, respectively, to the top and the bottom and adapted to stiffen the flexible sides when the structure is in use, and springs to hold the corner supports distended, substantially as described.

This specification signed and witnessed this 15th day of March, 1893.

ARTHUR D. F. RANDOLPH. lVitnesses:

OWEN WARD, CLARENCE R. (Jones. 

